Sewing for them

And now for some kid stuff!  I don't spend as much time on sewing for the girls.  They have SO many clothes (we've been blessed by hand-me-downs) and they grow so fast it's hard to put much time into things for them.  But, it's so cute.  And sometimes they ask for things.  Who could turn that down?

Sofilantjes Liv Skirt 

Hey June Halifax for a buddy

Hey June Monkey Bar Skirt 

Oliver and S Bucket Hats - another free pattern



Raglans (P4P on the big kids and Brindille and Twig on the littles)
made with Peek-a-boo S'mores Panels

Sewing for me

It's time to crank this thing back up.  I've been sewing a lot more this past year, especially since I got a serger (!!!) for Christmas.  It's kinda amazing how much I can love a thing.  I really do love it.  Anyway, I've been into sewing for myself, and some for the girls.  I've been exploring different pattern makers, trying new fabrics.  (No more trying to draft my own cause turns out I don't know what I'm doing!  It's a whole lot nicer when someone does it for you.)  I'd like to try to post more.  Here's a few things I've made.

Patterns for Pirates Slim Fit Raglan

Hey June Lane Raglan

Another Hey June Raglan

Hey June Santa Fe

Spring Tops

I've been sewing a lot this month.  I got sidetracked from doing Kids Clothes Week.  I partly blame not being able to find a contrasting material I liked and partly because I sprained my ankle the Sunday it started.  I had to take a few days off from sewing and limit trips to buy fabric.  BUT, I have since remedied the fabric situation so I might just have my own week.  Instead, I've been sewing for myself.  

I don't know why, but when I got this material, I was set on it being a racerback tank.  I followed Noodlehead's tutorial and copied a tank I already had.  A few issues - needs a little less arm hole in the front and a little more in the back; and the neck is a U instead of just being a scoop.  But I like it and am feeling better and better every time I sew a knit.

Approx cost: $4

I made the right, copied off the one of the left with a few less gathers. You'd think sewing for myself would mean clothes that fit but it's a little tight.  I'm still figuring fit out.

Approx cost: $11

I love this one.  I loosely copied a Lole T I really wanted to buy but didn't.  The material is very lightweight.  I had some trouble getting the neck to lie down flat.  It's still a little odd but better after topstitching with a double needle.  It's wider than I would do next time.  I don't know what's going on at the shoulder in the picture, there's no seam there.  All in all, I'm pretty happy.  It's such a pretty material, different for me.  Good different.

Approx cost: don't have the receipt anymore but less than $10

I'm posting over at the Spring Top Sew-Along again.  And guess what - my dolman made it onto Rae's blog!

Baby Tunic

I love the Tea brand but I can't justify buying their clothes very often, so when I get something on sale, why not copy it?  I bought this material for my Knits class, not paying any attention to what it was made of - 100% polyester.  Yuck.  It sticks to itself.  But, it's so cute!  I decided I'd use it to make something small, a copy of a tunic I bought on sale from Tea.  I'm mostly happy with the way it turned out.  The proportions around the waist are a little funny, but she doesn't care.  :)  I made the leggings too (tutorial).

I think I'm going to be brave and join the Kids Clothes Sewing Week.  I want to make this dress for a wedding we are going to in May.  I even made a muslin of the bodice!  I should have the material by Friday, so perfect timing!

approx cost:
tunic: $2
leggings: repurposed from a bag that jersey sheets came in

Striped Dolman

I have been obsessed with sewing clothes lately.  I've never really thought I could and I love it!  So satisfying.  And this top, oh this top.  I so love it.  I had this Dolman at Make It Love It saved since it was first posted, obviously the fabric captured me as well as the top itself!  And then I stumbled on this one so I combined them and used a sweater I have to help with creating the shape.  I never would have had the confidence if not for the Knits class with Whipstitch.  Oh, and I'm posting on Made By Rae's Spring Top Sew-Along!

approx cost: $3

Curved

My Curves class is long since over but I'm still plugging away.  These online classes work really well for me, for the most part.  I can work at my own pace but still feel motivated enough by being part of a group.  I was keeping up until about halfway through, but I'll still be able to finish the projects I want to finish.

Scalloped Bunting, hanging in baby's room 

Clamshell pillow, to go with the one I made in Essential Sewing last year

Drunkards Path Pot Holder (besides the curved piecing, I actually machine quilted!)

Recent Projects

I have been sewing up a storm lately, with the classes I'm taking as well as other projects.  It feels really good.  I'll post my projects from the classes later.

I have been wanting to get a little more sustainable in our house and use less chemicals in our cleaning products.  And besides the health factor, sometimes I get to the end of the day and I want something tangible to hold onto.  Something I can say, there - I did that.  Stay-at-home-parenting makes me really happy but it can feel a bit like you're in a tunnel sometimes.  So.  I spend naptime and evenings in the sewing room.  (And sometimes awake time too, but that results in it looking like a bomb went off in the sewing room thanks to my dear toddler).  Thanks to this tutorial, I made my own reusable swiffers, some for dusting out of flannel and some out of terry.  I use a vinegar/water combo, squirt it on the floor and swiff away.

flannel for dusting

terry for wet swiffing

handy little squirt bottle, idea courtesy of my sister

And I just can't stop making baby towels.  A friend just had her second little girl.  I made her first girl a towel a when she was born in 2010 so I made the newest one a towel and some additional washcloths for the older one.

to go along with this towel

And we're back!

I kinda forgot this thing existed.  But I signed myself up for another sewing class (actually 2) so here we are.  I have actually gotten a few things done this past year.

I love making towels for new babies.  These were for an old friend from high school who had twins last summer.

Used the hooded baby towel and washcloth tutorial at The Purl Bee

Dress pattern from Made
Elastic thread is really cool stuff!

I love this hat from Oliver + S; I'm going to have to make her another one this summer
I added snaps to the strap so she couldn't pull it off and an extra inch to the brim

high chair cover made with PUL

Finally made cushions for the rocking chair in the babies room!  (We've been sitting on very flat pillows)
I used this tutorial to figure out how to do "gussets."

I'm going to try to keep up with this a bit better, and do a better job documenting projects.  I really struggle to remember to take pictures of the process, but the end result is better than nothing!  The classes I'm taking are Curves over at Stitched in Color and Sewing with Knits with Whipstitch (I took Essential Sewing through Whipstitch last year).  Obviously I'm feeling a bit ambitious; we'll just have to see how it goes!

More Essential Sewing

This about wraps up the projects for my sewing class. There are a few I haven't photographed (or maybe just one?) and one I haven't finished yet.


Machine applique:

A skirt for me - made without a pattern

And a pillow, put in a zipper and make the piping around the outside.  Some much needed color in our very red and yellow world

the one she's allowed to touch

Using the fabrics from the brown bear quilt, I made this stacked coins quilt and my mother-in-law quilted it for me.  The piecing took about 5 minutes.  It was great!  I followed the directions found here.  I love how it turned out - simple but vibrant, lots for her to look at.  AND it was finished before she arrived.

Tool roll-up

Another project for my class.  I left an empty space cause I'm hoping for the 8 in Gingher shears someday.  I'm learning lots of techniques for how to do things pretty instead of just doing them.  I'm also cutting into fabric from my stash that I generally stare at wondering what to do with it.  So that's fun.

More from my sewing class.

time to live up to its name

for a long time, i have had grand ideas about making quilts based on books, especially children's books, hence the blog name.  but i haven't really put the idea into practice for a while.  one of the books i always wanted to do is this one: brown bear, brown bear by eric carle.  i actually bought the fabric and took the above picture a year ago; i was already pregnant but didn't know it yet.  when i found out, i figured this was the perfect quilt to do for my own baby.



now a year has gone by and what has become of that beautiful pile of fabric (moda marbles by the way)?

8 down, 1 to go!  each one is my own design, copied pretty much directly from the book, and hand appliqued.  all that is left is the blue horse (which i like to say would have gotten done if she hadn't decided to come a week early).  and then i will put it together and hand quilt it. sorry about the crummy photography.  i should work on that.  

 i decided while i was working on this that she'd probably never be allowed to touch it because so much of it is hand work.  so i made her another one with the help of my mother-in-law.  i'll post about that one soon.

essential sewing

I am taking a sewing class called Essential Sewing! It's on-line which is the only way to go at this point in my life. Check out my teacher's blog: Whipstitch.  I kinda know how to to sew stuff other than quilts, but it's like when I took beginning quilting several years after I started quilting.  It's amazing how much you find out you don't know as well as building confidence for what I do know.  Plus it's fun and it's a great outlet for me right now.  There is no pressure and I can do it in little bits and pieces when the baby is sleeping.  (Or sometimes she hangs out in the sewing room with me).  It's fun to see what everyone else is making too and we can comment and ask questions.  Below is what I've made so far - a napkin and a tote.  I'm supposed to be working on a tool roll-up but I screwed up making bias tape.  I think I have it figured out now but I haven't had the chance to get back to it.

Getting back on the blogging horse

Lots has happened since I last posted here.  Not only did I bind the Maine quilt, I had a baby and quit my job to stay home with her full-time!  I had quaint visions of sewing more.  I even signed up for an on-line class.  I'm kinda staying caught up with that, which inspired me to get back to this blog.  I'm told that someday we'll all sleep more and maybe that will mean I sew more.  Here's hoping!


the aforementioned 31 feet of binding

all done, sadly terrible lighting but it's what I got.  I love it.  

the final stitch

I finally finished hand quilting the quilt for my parents. It was started in 2006, with piecing by my sisters and myself. We were making it to honor the 100th birthday of our family's camp in Maine as well as their 60th birthdays. The top was fortunately done in time to present it in 2007 at the party, but the quilting has been going in fits and starts since then. When I found out I was going to have a baby, I knew I had to finish it now or never! Now all I have to do is make 31 feet of binding. . .

Quilt for turning 30

It was finally nice enough AND it occurred me to take some pictures of the husband's quilt outside.

Hand Puppets

I admit it, I'm pretty proud of these. I made them for my nephew, he's three.

I love this tutorial over on Sweetie Pie Bakery, especially the curtain - a simple idea but such a great addition to the puppets themselves. I decided to machine stitch rather than hand partly for strength and partly for time. I decided to do this a week before Christmas!

I followed her directions for the pig, elephant, and lion, and then added the penguin cause he likes them and the dog cause he has one (though he thought it was a bunny, a reasonable assumption due to the ears). The tails of the pig and dog were made with pipe cleaner. I used leftover material from the bridesmaids dresses from my wedding for the curtain and made ties so they could be velcroed (not sure if that's a word).

In action!